Formed in Stockholm in 1989, rap metal quintet Clawfinger came to global prominence via their 1993 debut album Deaf Dumb Blind and helped shape the burgeoning rap metal scene. With socially adept lyrics melded to a razor sharp sound, Clawfinger were in perfect sync with the times and picked up the fight against racism and homophobia, tackling hatred and prejudice head on. After a brief hiatus (punctuated by several festival appearances), Clawfinger made a triumphant return in 2017 and since then it’s very much been full steam ahead. Now signed to Reigning Phoenix Music, the band consolidate their position as leaders in the rap metal field with their latest album, Before We All Die.
Let’s face it: the world is still an angry, dangerous place that’s full of hunger, disease, pestilence, and death. However, such conditions are fertile soil for great art and it ensures that Clawfinger remain totally relevant. Politically-charged music can often age quickly (like yesterday’s newspaper) and doesn’t take long to reach its sell by date, yet Clawfinger’s focus on self-discipline and their philosophy of making the world a better place by being a better person gives them a freshness that many of their peers lack. That ethos becomes apparent on opening track ‘Scum’, a song that arrives like a surprise left hook from a prize fighter. Heavy, yet fleet of foot, it throws all sorts of neat moves, attacking from all angles like a swarm of angry bees, it leaves the listener reeling and on the ropes (but in the best possible way, of course). Some choice samples show that when it comes to politicians, only the names have changed and it is still the same narcissists running the show, and such is the fuel that feeds Clawfinger’s fire.
The kind of rap metal that Clawfinger play has given the band an exorbitant amount of freedom and they put it to good use on an album that is always shapeshifting, taking on new form as it progresses. Different beats and tempos keep the listener engaged; just when you think you have the band cornered they shoot off on another tangent. Sometimes things veer more towards metal, at others rap (check out the beats and words on ‘A Perfect Day’), but mostly Before We All Die hits that sweet spot right between the two and joins the genres in an easy equilibrium. In a similar fashion, the lyrics detour from what you’d expect from a rap metal album and Clawfinger take a swipe at vapid celebrity culture (‘Big Brother’) and the selfish side of human nature (‘Environmental Patients’), alongside more personal issues (‘Ball & Chain’).
Aided by a vast and expansive production, Clawfinger have produced an album that really packs a punch. Eighteen years in gestation means that Before We All Die comes loaded with expectation, but if any album can live up to that hype, this album can.
- Before We All Die is released via Reigning Phoenix Music on 20th February 2026.
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Track List:
- Scum
- Ball & Chain
- Tear You Down
- Big Brother
- Linked Together
- A Perfect Day
- Going Down (Like Titanic)
- You Call Yourself A Teacher
- A Fucking Disgrace
- Kill The Dream
- Environmental Patients
- Before We All Die
